Trump leads tributes after key ally Lindsey Graham dies at 71, leaving big gap in his inner circle
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has died at age 71 following a sudden illness. President Trump and other political figures have issued tributes honoring his long career and influence in Washington.
Why it matters
The death of a long-serving, influential US Senator creates a significant vacancy in the Republican party's leadership and foreign policy circles.
WASHINGTON, July 12 — US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of President Donald Trump’s closest political allies and among the most recognisable conservative voices in Washington, has died aged 71 after what his office described as a “brief and sudden illness.”
A statement posted on Graham’s official X account said he died on Saturday evening, adding that his family “appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period”, news aire AFP reported today.
Trump was among the first to pay tribute, describing the South Carolina senator as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known.”
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